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SUNY Potsdam Alumni Present 2025 Minerva Award to Robert Wagner '75

Robert Wagner '75 of Clifton Park, N.Y., Recognized with 2025 Minerva Award, Highest Honor Bestowed by the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association

Potsdam, NY (07/16/2025) — The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association recently presented the Minerva Award, its highest honor, to Robert Wagner '75 of Clifton Park, N.Y., during Reunion 2025.

The Minerva Award is presented annually to a graduate who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in his or her field. It is the highest honor that a SUNY Potsdam graduate can receive from the association. Wagner was recognized for his visionary leadership, generous spirit and extraordinary commitment to SUNY Potsdam and its students.

About the recipient:

Robert Wagner '75 has exemplified leadership, innovation, and a lifelong dedication to environmental sustainability and education-both through his distinguished career and his unwavering support of SUNY Potsdam.

Wagner began his career at General Electric's Corporate Research and Development Center while pursuing graduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He later served as an associate staff cnalytical Chemist, focusing on environmental and analytical chemistry.

In 1989, he founded Northeast Analytical, Inc., a firm that provided environmental testing and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies. A respected voice in his field, Wagner authored or co-authored 27 scientific publications and served as editor of Guide to Environmental Analytical Methods across all four editions (1992 to 1998). He also mentored the next generation by welcoming SUNY Potsdam biology and chemistry students as interns in his labs.

Wagner's generosity and dedication to his alma mater are equally noteworthy. In 2006, he established the Bob Cerwonka Memorial Scholarship in honor of his cherished professor and mentor. His most visible contribution to campus is the Wagner Institute for Sustainability and Ecological Research (WISER), which he founded in 2016 along with his wife, Wendy Wagner (Hon. '17). Funded through their philanthropy, WISER supports innovative programming on climate change, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and STEM research, and includes the Department of Biology's greenhouse.

Looking ahead, the couple are spearheading the WISER Gardens project, extending sustainable learning and greenspace into the heart of campus. Driven by a deep belief in the power of education, the Wagners are committed to opening doors for future students -- creating meaningful opportunities for them to explore and shape careers in environmental sustainability.

To find out more about how SUNY Potsdam connects with its devoted alumni, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

Robert Wagner ’75 of Clifton Park, N.Y., is the recipient of the 2025 Minerva Award from the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association. He is seen here accepting the honor from SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Suzanne R. Smith at Reunion 2025.

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